


Autumn

by nothfan



Category: The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:28:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothfan/pseuds/nothfan
Summary: Part of Trick of Treat exchangeAutumn time in The Secret Garden
Relationships: Colin Craven & Mary Lennox & Dickon Sowerby
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9
Collections: Trick or Treat Exchange 2020





	Autumn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [m_madeleine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_madeleine/gifts).



The Secret Garden: Autumn 

Robin redbreast sang his melancholy song as the autumn sunlight waned over the ivy covered garden wall. With his mate he had raised two broods, both chicks and mate now departed. The fledglings to seek out their own territories, their parents duty complete. It was not in their nature to mate for life, she flew away across the garden, and Robin redbreast was alone.

But by day the garden, his home, was alive with noise and activity. The visitors to his garden had suddenly seemed to chirp loudly, much like his own fledglings. He passed the time in between foraging for food watching them quizzically, as they came and went at intervals throughout the day. But now he was accompanied by just the nighttime sounds as he slept on his branch, in the secret garden.

Inside Misselthwaite Manor the children sat shoulder to shoulder on the couch in the Colin’s room. The remnants of a meal still to be cleared away, not that Colin and Mary had left much. Their rapidly increasing appetites saw to that.

They sipped at hot chocolate as they solemnly poured over the seed catalogue, Colin’s father had purchased for them. Armed with the sage advice from both Dickon and old Ben they carefully marked off the seeds and bulbs that Mr Craven had promised to order for them. Some would be for sewing in spring and others were winter hardy bulbs, which they would plant during the autumn months. 

Everyone at the Manor had been surprised at how quickly Colin’s health had improved, Colin was the only one who was not at all surprised. Unlike Mary’s transformation to good health, her becoming a more thoughtful and caring child. Which had been gradual and unintentional. Colin had a goal. He would become a sturdy boy, like his roll model Dickon. Before winter set in he would make the five mile journey to visit Dickon’s family, and on his own two feet.

He would run beside his friends across Misel moor, he would race against Dickon and his pony! That was his goal and he knew he had the inner strength and determination to succeed. Of that fact he had no doubt at all.

Archibald Craven allowed the children to keep their secret garden to themselves. The only adults permitted inside were Ben, who would be its full time gardener and Mr Craven. The latter began to slowly fall back in love with the place and allow his fonder memories to return. And much joy it brought into his life, to see Colin happily engaged in all aspects of caring for the garden, which was full of life, as was reflected in the children. As they tended the flower beds and played with youthful enthusiasm, full of excitement and laughter. 

As Summer slipped away into autumn, the children took pleasure in the multi faceted colours of the leaves, oranges, reds and golden brown. Throwing armfuls of leaves at one another, rolling in them, squealing with laughter. Being chided by old Ben, when the children were meant to be helping him rake the leaves up. The old gardener explaining the mulching process to the children, how they would use the mulch to nurture and protect the evergreens and bulbs through the winter months. 

Under supervision from Ben Weatherstaff, Colin and Mary learned how to prune back the roses and other plants, in readiness for winter. He explained to them, pruning would encourage all the plants energies into the roots below ground and not spindly stems. They collected seed heads and scattered them to feed the secret garden’s birds. 

As Autumn slowly crept towards winter, Colin decided he was ready for his adventure across the moor. My Craven began by insisting Colin and Mary travelled by carriage, but Colin’s resolve to go by foot was firm. A compromise was proposed by Mary, to ease her uncles doubts, and make her cousin happy,

“Uncle, Dickon will have the pony with him, and he’s gown to know us. He’s given us rides on his back plentiful times. If Colin gets tired, he can ride the pony?” Mary proposed.

Mr Craven was a little disturbed to find the children had ridden a wild pony, and frowned his concerns.

“The carriage could fetch us home in the evening uncle?” Mary added hopefully. And Mr Craven finally agreed, under the eager and hopeful pleading of the children.

And so it was, Dickon would come for them on his moorland pony, they would carry a basket of delicious things from Misselthwaite’s kitchen with them. And share a final autumn picnic with Dickon’s brothers and sisters. Mr Craven would come with the carriage to bring them home. It would provide a suitable opportunity to exchange a few words with Mrs Sowersby he’d decided.

Archibald Craven accompanied his son and niece to the edge of the moor and waved as they ran forward to meet the approaching boy. He watched as Dickon slid off the small pony, taking the basket from the little girl. He gazed until the children grew very small in the distance, before finally turning away towards Misselthwaite Manor. The autumn sunlight shone brightly and his heart was light as he strode home.

“Home,” he spoke the word out loud and smiled at the truth of one short word.


End file.
